Located in , in Sydney’s outer west, the opening service drew an unexpectedly large crowd of hungry diners, mainly from the local .
“We didn’t know if we could have a single customer … but in the first week, we didn’t have [enough] space [for] them to sit down,” says Nika Ojaghfaghihi, daughter of the restaurant’s owners.
At just 19 years old, Nika is a key player in the family-run restaurant. As the most fluent English speaker in the family, she deals with the family’s administrative duties, and helps run the floor with her older sister Niusha. Father Payam Ojaghfaghihi and mother Vida Yazdany own the restaurant, and work the pans in the kitchen.
The family are of the , a religious minority group that . In their homeland, the family were barred from gaining higher education or opening their own business. After living in Turkey for three years (where an eight-year-old Nika learnt her first English words from the Disney TV channel), the family migrated to Sydney in 2011 in search of a better life.
The family behind Dark Blue restaurant. (Yvonne C Lam) Source: Yvonne C Lam
At the centre of their great Australian dream was opening a restaurant, inspired by Payam’s favourite childhood movie, Dark Blue (and the namesake of the film’s fictional restaurant). In it, the protagonist overcomes adversity to open a successful eatery. In a case of life imitating art, Payam and Vida worked seven days a week to save up the funds to start their own business – as painters in the building industry on the weekdays, and as caterers on the weekends.
We didn’t know if we could have a single customer … but in the first week, we didn’t have [enough] space [for] them to sit down.
“[Dad] always wanted to be a chef and open his own restaurant … and my mum always supported him,” says Nika. “They connect very deeply with each other through a passion for food.”
On the menu is a page of grilled kebabs, which Nika jokes are the “safe option” for new diners unaccustomed to Persian food. But Dark Blue’s specialty is their range of (they’re labelled on the menu as “steamed foods”), home-style stews served with fluffy saffron rice.
There’s a reason has top billing on the khoresht page. While she was pregnant, it was the first dish that Vida taught Payam how to cook. It’s a hearty dish of diced lamb and kidney beans, the richness cut through with the tang and fragrance of dried limes.
It’s Nika’s favourite dish on the menu.“It tastes like home, a safe place that reminds me of my childhood,” she says.
Also popular is the , with lamb, split yellow peas and tomato paste, and earthy with turmeric and saffron; while the contains lamb or beef, as well as celery, parsley and dried mint.
“We get calls early in the morning from customers asking if we’re going to cook it for the day,” says Nika. She says that's the case for many dishes.
But if you’re after the recipes, good luck to you. Nika says this type of cooking brings out the competitive streak in home cooks, and that Persian families subtly compete for the title of best ghorme sabzi.
It could explain why, when I ask Vida to walk me through her culinary secrets, she gives me a warm smile. “The food that is made with love is the food that is the most delicious to the guests,” she says.
And it’s definitely warmth and love that you feel in Dark Blue. The restaurant’s name is aptly reflected in its interiors: the walls and chairs are uniformly navy, while moody pendant lights hang low over the dark blue tables.
Nika says the colour scheme makes customers feel relaxed, but for Vida and Payam, there’s something more.
Payam and Vida worked seven days a week to save up the funds to start their own business – as painters in the building industry on the weekdays, and as caterers on the weekends.
“We wanted to open a place where we can live and work together as a family, and also provide a safe and peaceful environment for families to come and enjoy their time together,” they say.
Payam adds, “When we get positive feedback from how much [customers have] enjoyed everything, that's what keeps us going. That's what gives us hope to continue on."
Dark Blue Persian Restaurant will be featured as part of the culinary line-up of Blacktown’s , until 17 November. Over 3½ hours, attendees will gain access to five newly-commissioned, site-specific works in Blacktown. All will also dine together at Dark Blue, or .
122 Main St, Blacktown, NSW, (02) 8608 8945
Mon noon – 9 pm, Wed – Thu noon – 9 pm, Fri noon – 10pm, Sat 9 am – 10 pm, Sun 9 am – 9 pm
